CBS Student Highlight: Kristin Roensch

What is your major?

Currently, I am a senior pursuing a major in Genetics, Cell Biology and Development and a minor in Spanish Studies.

Why was CBS a great fit for you?

I chose the College of Biological Sciences because of its dedication to and focus on the students. As a student in CBS, I have never felt like a number; everyone involved in CBS really goes above and beyond to make sure that the students are well taken care of and that all of their needs are met. It is so easy to get involved in CBS through its many student groups, organizations, and leadership opportunities. Overall, I am so happy with my decision to come to CBS--I have learned so much, both in and out of the classroom.

Ultimate Homecoming Parade

Now for a little flashback...

As you may know, this past fall marked the return of football to campus with the opening of the TCF Bank Stadium. It was dubbed 'The Ultimate Homecoming.'  Of course, any homecoming isn't complete without a parade, so on Friday, October 9, students, staff, faculty, alumni, and the University community joined together for a night to remember...

To show our school spirit during the parade, approximately 70 students, faculty, staff, and alumni represented the Nature of Life program and all seven departments within CBS. The students created caricatures to represent each of the departments. Dean Robert Elde and CBS founding dean Richard Caldecott rode in a convertible along with Biological Sciences Alumni Society Board of Directors President John S. Anderson. View our full-screen slideshow and see how it all went down!

BIO magazine is now online!

Many of us are spending more time online and less time paging through magazines. Afterall, you can't watch that exciting video about CBS students making a difference in the world if you're not using a computer. In that spirit, BIO (the College of Biological Science's magazine) has decided to go online to publish without the pulp and produce more timely, media-rich features!
 

Check out BIO magazine on the CBS Web site.

CBS People: Erin Fider

Name: Erin Fider

Job title: Program Associate

Number of years with the college: 3.5 (also worked for the Department of Pharmacology for 8 years prior)

Where you work: Itasca Biology Program

Describe something interesting or unusual about your work here:
I work in St. Paul during the academic year and spend three months each summer at Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories. The contrast between the city and the woods, as well as the two distinct working environments, lets me lead a double life. At Itasca, I get to interact on a more personal level with people I meet only in passing here on campus. Living there is unpredictable. On any given day you might run across a bear, get caught in a storm or watch a helicopter land on the soccer field. The best part is working with the great Itasca staff that I only get to see during the summer months. As many will attest, their combined sense of humor cannot be rivaled!

Where’s your favorite spot to hang out when you are at Itasca?
I walk to a huge boulder out on Bear Paw point nearly every day. It's the perfect place to watch the sunset, have a picnic or just sit. I've taken to calling it "my rock" even though the plaque bolted onto it is in memory of Samuel Green, the pioneer forester and professor who first established summer courses in forestry at Itasca. I guess he must have enjoyed the solitude there as well, but he doesn't seem to mind sharing it.

What do you listen to in the car when you drive from St. Paul to Itasca?
Anything and everything! The Essential Adam Ant CD was my top pick this summer. It's impossible to get drowsy while listening to Ant music and it brings back some fun memories.

CBS students making a difference in the world

College of Biological Sciences undergraduates volunteered with Minnesota Medical Leaders this summer in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Michelle Holman, one of the volunteers on the medical mission, describes her experience...

CBS People: Tracy Anderson

Name: Tracy Anderson

Job title: Microscopist / Imaging Specialist (Junior Scientist)

Number of years with the college: 5.5 years (Also, graduated from CBS with a microbiology degree and worked as an undergrad for CBS information technology and also as a teaching assistant for the Biology program.)

Where you work: CBS Imaging Center

Describe something interesting or unusual about your work here.
Working in a University core facility, which serves the entire U of M community, I get to look at a plethora of interesting things under the microscope. The list includes bacteria that can sense magnetic poles, odor absorbing upholstery, orange flavoring used in foods, tool artifacts from the Stone Age, cheese, butter, a piece of an iron-clad ship from the Civil War, extinct insects, owl retina, islet cells, shrimp food, skin exfoliant cream, heart stents, pacemakers, plant roots, basil, artificial tissue, Brazilian moths, astronaut food, lichens collected from around the world … the list goes on. I feel privileged to look at the world with such a unique perspective.

How do you usually get to work?
During the warmer months I drive my MINI Cooper to work, although I really miss riding a scooter. During the winter months I take the bus, which conveniently drops me off next to Snyder Hall in St. Paul where I work.

What other professional pursuit could you imagine for yourself?
Food stylist/photographer and restaurant critic. And pastry chef. In New York City.

A strong foundation

Looking for an innovative, fun, and challenging introduction to biology? Check out the Foundations of Biology, a required course for all first-year College of Biological Sciences students!



Foundations of Biology is taught in an interactive, state-of-the-art classroom. It provides students with individualized atttention from top faculty and hands-on experience, focusing on applying knowledge to real life issues.